Journey to The Real World
by Emmelyn Cindy Mah
Summary: Faded memories of Aburaya linger within Chihiro’s soul—she must escape the remnants of reality to reunite herself with her beloved Haku, who, in turn, must escape the gates of Aburaya to meet her embrace.
1. Prologue: Faded Whispers

**Title:** Journey to the Real World

**By:** Emmelyn Cindy Mah

**E-mail:** Romance/Action and Adventure

**Summary:** Faded memories of Aburaya linger within Chihiro's soul—she must escape the remnants of reality to reunite herself with her beloved Haku, who must in turn break free of the spirit realm to meet her embrace.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Spirited Away—nor do I own Chihiro, Kohaku, and any other afore-mentioned characters from the movie. I do, however, own the plot, and several characters that will make themselves visible throughout the course of this tale.

**Author's Note:** I actually watched Spirited Away long ago. And I actually started on this fic –ages- ago. I just never got to finishing it, because so many things cropped up. I'm going to be re-writing, and adding more stuff—to all the people who've reviewed in the past, here's me, picking up the pieces. Also, I'm going to be changing some plotlines—nothing major. The most major of these is that Chihiro does not remember Haku when she leaves the Spirit Realm.

…And I've grown up a lot when it comes to my writing. Honestly, I am ashamed at my old work. XD

Enjoy!

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**Prologue: Faded Whispers**

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She stared solemnly at the grey marble figure before the gloomy passageway. Something stirred deep within her chest—try as she might, she could not shake the feeling off. She felt as if she'd left something important behind.

"Chihiro. Come, we're late."

A small frown adorned her features even as she slid into the back-seat of her silver family car. Restlessness had now settled deep within her—she could not quite understand why she felt so. The crimson-bricked theme-park that they'd stumbled upon had been abandoned—there was naught interesting enough to miss.

"I _told_ you. We shouldn't have stopped."

"It was only for a short while."

"It was a waste of time."

Chihiro chewed gently upon her lower lips—her parents often bickered in such a manner; it no longer bothered her. It surprised her, however, mildly, that she found their _words_ biting.

Had their little trip into the abandoned theme park really been a waste of time? She strained her mind—tugging heavily at her dark brown hair. She could remember nothing of their little foray into the unknown—it troubled her, to some extent.

Could it be that her memories were choosing to lie to her? Did the theme park hold within it a secret?

She sighed quietly, leaning her forehead upon the clear glass of her window. Absently, she plucked at several cherry-blossom petals—these were carried into the air by the faded whispering of the winds, away, away, into the darkened passageway through the theme park entrance.

Perhaps—just perhaps, without making sense, the trip into the theme park had not been a waste of time.

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He stood upon the hill, within an outcropping of deep-grey boulders, his deep grey eyes fixed upon the crimson entrance passageway across the fields. Never before had he felt quite so miserable—never before had he lost one quite so close to his heart.

The winds swirled gently about him, the breeze warm and balmy in the sunny, cloudless weather. For a moment or two, he thought he'd caught the sweet scent of cherry blossoms; he smiled.

The petals flew about his still form, swirling about his tunic—his breeches, before coming to rest upon the ground at his feet. He watched them silently; unmoving.

And then, quite without warning, he reached down, and took within his fist several of the petals—he lifted them to his lips, and sighed.

"I am sorry that you will not remember me." He murmured quietly—a single petal fell from his grasp as he turned. "But I shall remember you, Chihiro—"

"—always."

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**Author's note:** The end of a revised prologue. I shall be revising the other chapters soon! This should be much better when compared to my old writing style. I hope you guys enjoyed the new twists! 


	2. Chapter 1: Freedom for Love

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**Chapter 1: Freedom for Love**

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He stood stiff before the witch—almost reminiscent of a stone figurine. His arms, he held at his sides; he did not lift them, nor did he make any movement. 

The witch was seated at her desk—several stacks of documents piled upon her carved-rosewood desk. She threw him a dirty glare.

"You're really going to throw everything you've learnt away? All for the sake of a girl?" Her voice was calm—in complete contrast to the rising flush of her face.

The river god nodded—he chose not to speak.

"And you're going to go after her? Into the realm of the living." It was not a question, but a statement.

Again, he nodded.

"You'll find her, and live with her forever, is that it?"

He watched the witch solemnly; beneath the dark teal of his eyes rested a stern sort of resolve. He nodded.

"Have you completely lost your mind?!"

A tiny smile had crept onto his face; he found that he could not control it, however he tried. "Perhaps I have, Yu-Baaba." His voice was clear—almost fearless.

Yu-Baaba narrowed her eyes. Grumbling faintly under her breath, she stood—pushing her chair from her, and made her way towards him. "Is this your love? You throw everything I've taught you away—all in the name of this love? Tell me, Haku—"

"—Kohaku." He said, quietly. "You know very well, Yu-Baaba—my name is Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi."

The witch wrinkled her nose slightly; she turned her back to him. "When you accepted my apprenticeship, you became Haku. You will remain Haku to me—" She grumbled, "—even after you leave."

Kohaku inclined his head gently. "I intend to leave, Yu-Baaba—I shall do so with, or without your blessing." He paused, lifting his head; his teal orbs met hers, lively, though aged. "I would much rather the latter."

Yu-Baaba made a noise under her breath—he almost smiled. "I knew you were going to want to leave." She muttered, after several long moment's silence. When she turned to face him once more, he saw that she was wearing a somewhat weary smile. "Haku, you cannot use your magic in the realm of the living. You cannot allow the mortals to see—to know." Her voice was quiet, now—serious.

He nodded once. "I am well aware. I do not plan to."

She sighed quietly, and sat, once again, before her desk. Interlacing her fingers, she chewed solemnly upon her lower lip, almost contemplatively, before mirroring the other's nod. "You have my blessing."

Kohaku bowed low. "Yu-Baaba—" He began, stiffly. He rarely spoke words of emotion. "—I don't expect you to understand."

"I don't." The witch cut in. She watched him for a moment or two; he'd straightened, and their eyes had met once again. "But I am not going to hold you back. Not when you understand something of these realms—that I do not." She cleared her throat.

The river god crooked a tiny smile. "Thank you."

Yu-Baaba muttered grimly under her breath; with ease, she tugged a slip of parchment from within her desk. For a moment or two, she gazed silently at the folded slip—then levitated it towards the other. "Your contract."

He took the slip—and bowed once more. And then—"Thank you."—he murmured, having found no other thing to say.

She scowled towards him. "What are you still doing here? Go on." She pointed towards the door. "And don't let me see you again without her by your side."

Kohaku chuckled faintly—inclining his head towards the witch once more, he made towards the door, and was gone.

Yu-Baaba peered mildly into the fire—she was loathe to admit it, but she would miss that headstrong apprentice of hers. She smirked slightly—the closest thing to a smile, that would grace her face.

"So this is true love."

She chuckled.

* * *

**Author's Note:** This is my second re-written chapter, y'all. I just want to tell you guys, that every chapter I revise and rewrite will have (rewritten) at the bottom. Like this chapter. Just look out for it. If the chapter does not have that at the bottom, then there's a good chance it'll be changed soon. Like this one. 

As soon as I finish revising and rewriting, I can go back to actually finishing the story! I'm sure you all want to see Chihiro and Haku back together too!

Many thanks to the people who reviewed the un-revised version of my prologue: Vic, Linneria, Shazaoblossom, and Relena!

And thanks to MimoriFanForever for the many kind reviews! Look out for the rest of my re-writes—they're much better than the un-revised ones, I promise!

Signing off for now!

(rewritten)


	3. Chapter 2: Distant Mem's of a River God

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**Chapter 2: Distant Memories of a River God**

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Chihiro stared blankly at the array of colours strewn out before her; and then groaned out loud. Just two seconds ago, her suitcase had been perfectly packed—the clothes within it neatly pressed and folded. And just one second ago, the clasp of her suitcase had chosen, invariably, the worst time to split open.

Her clothes lay strewn over the grey-tiled floors of her new kitchen.

"You really should be more careful." Akio Ogino stumbled in, heaving a medium-sized chest-of-drawers in his arms. "Come on, clear it up. Your mother needs your help outside."

She shrugged—in three short seconds, she'd scooped her clothes, scrunched up into an untidy bundle, into her arms. Then she'd stuffed them into her suitcase. "I'm done. Where's mother?"

"Right here." Yuuko Ogino walked into the room, and set her box down onto the kitchen table. "I'm fine. You can start unpacking your things."

"Where's my room?" Chihiro queried—she heaved her suitcase into her arms. She'd decided against attempting to re-attach the clasp; what were the chances they'd move again so soon?

Yuuko began to unpack her cups and china—she smiled. "Upstairs, first room to the left."

Chihiro nodded once. She was far too pre-occupied with her case to attempt making a proper reply.

It was several long minutes later when she'd kicked open the wooden door of her new bedroom. She blinked—and then gasped.

Her new room was not something that she'd anticipated—she hated change, and the great move had presented itself in the worst possible way in her head. She'd sworn to hate her new home—even before she'd gotten there.

And yet, she found that she could not possibly detest her new room.

Her parents had gone out of their way to make her feel comfortable. The walls were painted pink—accentuated with wooden panelling the colour of sand. The floors were of the same colour—a large, furry rug of deepest red had been thrown upon the very center of it. Her bed had been moved from her old town—pushed against a comfortable looking corner. She'd noted that the sheets upon it were new.

Everything of hers from her old room had been moved in—it was as if nothing'd changed. Her computer stood plugged into a corner—a perfect means of communication with her old friends.

The room was bright; and homely.

Chihiro smiled slightly—perhaps it would not be so bad, after all.

"Please say you like it." Yuuko lowered the rest of Chihiro's belongings onto her bed. She looked tired—the movers had somehow managed to lose her entire box of porcelain plates and silverware.

Chihiro lowered her suitcase onto the ground, and reached out to hug her mother briefly. "Thank you." She mumbled—she could find no other words to describe her feelings. She was touched beyond joy.

Yuuko smiled—she looked relieved. "I'm glad you're happy, dear. Now hurry and unpack—I need your help downstairs as soon as you're done up here."

Chihiro sighed quietly as her mother left the room—with a soft click, the door fell shut. Happiness was nowhere near what she was feeling. It was true that her room was beautiful—it was true that she loved it. It was, however, with an odd sort of weight upon her heart that she'd strode into the balcony of her room, and gazed out into the running stream directly below.

She could find no earthly reason as to why she was upset—she simply was. It was troubling; she'd supposed that it was simply the moving—she'd been against it from the start.

And yet, somehow, she felt as if she were missing something—someone. Her heart would not relent—it was resilient in its desires.

She watched the flowing waters of the rivers for a moment—her expression somber. For some reason, the waters tugged at her heart—something seemed familiar about it. The blue-green ripples over the grey stones within the crystalline rapids—

"Kohaku."

The name came to her lips in a quiet flutter of a whisper—she'd said it without quite meaning to.

"Kohaku—Haku." She murmured, rolling the words about her tongue—she could not understand what it meant. "Haku—"

She frowned. The name was familiar—and yet unfamiliar, at the same time.

It happened in a flash of colours—blue, green, and white. She could see herself flying—drifting through the skies, a surprisingly warm hand holding hers within its grasps. A pair of teal eyes—full of compassion, warmth, and love. Hair the colour of rain upon stone—and a smile. A rare, but beautiful smile.

Chihiro gasped—beads of sweat had begun to roll from her cheeks. She struggled for breath as her fingers sought, desperately, to rub the thoughts from her head. Who _was_ that boy? She simply could not understand it.

And nor would she have time to understand it.

There would be no time for dilly-dallying. Her mother needed her.

She sighed as she exited her room—she'd contracted a headache.

Moving house was a difficult game to play.

* * *

**Author's Note:** There's another chapter revised! I'm trying to do this as quickly as possible! Its also a pretty good thing that my chapters are short here—makes for easier revising! Haha, I can't wait to continue and end this fic!

These are the thanks for the people who reviewed my unrevised chapter 1!

Shazaoblossom, amimain, and MOMIJI.

Thank you so much!

(rewritten)


	4. Chapter 3: New Acquiantances

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**Chapter 3: New Acquaintances **

* * *

"Haku!"

Kohaku blinked placidly, and then turned—he was rather puzzled as he cast his gaze upon the sound that had called him. He'd not expected anyone to know of his departure—he'd chosen to make himself unpopular amongst the workers of Aburaya; their materialistic ways disgusted him.

It was, however, Rin and Kamajii who stood between the doorway into Aburaya and the bridge—she grinned her brightest smile, whilst he waved one of his many hands.

"You had better take good care of Sen!" Rin shrieked over the bridge—she'd begun to wave madly. "If you don't, I'll slap you so hard, your past life will hurt!"

A short moment of silence followed—before Kamijii began to berate Rin for her apparent ease of threatening his favourite boy.

Kohaku chuckled—he nodded. "Take care, Rin. And you, Kamajii." He said. He thought he'd seen Kamijii smacking Rin upside the head with one of his free hands—and could not help grinning in amusement.

Even as he turned his back to the two, he felt a slight pull within his heart—he was leaving the only real home he'd ever known.

How he would miss that bathhouse.

* * *

"Chihiro Ogino, you wake up this instant, or I'll throw you into the river!"

Chihiro moaned, tugging her pillow over her face in a futile attempt at blocking the sunlight within her room. Her fingers, she'd used to plug her ears—perhaps it would drown her mother's rather grating voice.

No such luck.

"Get up! Now!"

She groaned—pushing herself into a seating position, Chihiro blinked blearily about her room for several seconds. It was only half-past seven. The sun was barely up.

Yuuko knocked once on her door, before poking her head into the room. "Time to get up. School's going to start soon."

Chihiro grumbled vaguely under her breath. Monday—she'd been dreading the arrival of Monday.

She was not quite ready to face her new schoolmates—her new school.

It was several sets of minutes later when she'd descended the stairs from her room. She wore a woolen sweater of white, and a knee-length skirt of purple plaid. Her hair had been tied back into a plait—for some strange reason, she'd found a rather intriguing hair-tie on her head the night before. She couldn't recall purchasing it—nor could she recall ever using it to hold her hair back.

Odd.

She'd had a weird dream—that she could only recall bits and pieces of.

Even as she sat down at the dining table, the vision of those eyes—those teal eyes, popped into her head. She yawned, and bit into a piece of toast—and then chewed grumpily. She half wished those eyes would leave her alone.

Two slices of toast-and-butter, and a cup of juice later, she stood at the door, tapping her foot impatiently against the gravel. She held her new books in her hands, and her book-bag hung at her shoulder. Why were fathers always late when it came to important days?

Akio swallowed the last of his oatmeal; and then tossed his keys towards her. "Unlock the car door first, dear? I need to get my briefcase."

Chihiro made a low, grumbling noise under her breath. "I'm driving to school myself if you're not out in two minutes! Heaven forbid I get into an accident because I'm ten."

Her father chortled good-naturedly as he went about collecting his work-papers.

It was almost ten minutes later when the Ogino car left the driveway of their new home. And it was several minutes after the school bell had rung, that they'd pulled up in the parking-lot.

Chihiro found that she could not breathe—and in addition to her frazzled nerves, even as she was taken towards her new classroom, accompanied by her kindly headmaster, _those_ eyes haunted her head.

She hardly noticed when her headmaster ushered her into a room through a corridor—she was too busy trying to stem the flow of odd scenarios within her head. No matter how many times they chose appear in her dreams, she refused to believe that she'd known and met a man with no less than eight arms.

Twenty four pairs of eyes were staring at her. She blinked once, and then flushed heavily.

"You're—" Chihiro hadn't noticed the teacher sitting in the corner—she stood, to allow the girl a better view of her. "Ogino, Chihiro."

Chihiro nodded timidly, having found nothing to say.

The teacher smiled. "I'm Miss Takahashi. Welcome to Aster Star Primary School, Chihiro."

She nodded once more. "Good morning, Miss Takahashi."

Several of the boys and girls of her class watched her with unspoken interest—a raven-haired fellow in the fourth row waved a lazy hand. Some of the girls offered smiles; some looked her over with mild amusement. Some simply ignored her, choosing, instead, to bend their heads further over their work.

There were those, however, who'd been watching her since her arrival—amongst these were two that Chihiro found good-natured in appearance. They sat in adjoining desks; one alabaster-skinned, and dark-haired—she looked almost chinese. The other was undoubtedly japanese—she had light-auburn hair that fell loose over her shoulders, and cheerful olive eyes.

Chihiro cleared her throat as quietly as she could—it felt blocked, constricted.

"Class—may I have your attention please?" Miss Takahashi clapped her hands together. Those who'd been busy at work lifted their heads; they looked rather disgruntled at the interruption. "This is Chihiro. She's a new student from Tokyo—you must all make her acquiantance during break. Help her to get settled in, and make her feel welcome."

The class clapped—emboldened, Miss Takahashi smiled, and pushed Chihiro forward. "Would you like to say anything, Chihiro?"

The girl shook her head quickly—the flush had risen to her forehead.

Miss Takahasi laughed, and nodded in the general direction of the the chinese-looking girl. "You can sit beside Ching and Hiromi."

Chihiro nodded once, and moved silently towards her designated seat. She kept her gaze fixed upon the ground—she hated having the focus of others upon her.

With a soft sigh of relief, she sank into her seat—and shut her eyes.

"Didn't sleep well last night?"

Chihiro started; she lifted her head and chuckled weakly at the chinese-looking girl next to her. "I'm sorry—I just—I'm not used to your school yet, I guess."

The chinese-looking girl laughed—it sounded like bells tinkling in the wind. "Its quite understandable. I was like you last year." She tossed her dark hair over her shoulder, and grinned—her dark blue eyes twinkled in amusement. "I'm Yuen Ching Er, by the way. But you can call me Ching."

"Chihiro Ogino." Chihiro mumbled quietly. She rather envied people who were able to make easy conversation with new acquiantances.

The head of the other girl popped up from beside Ching—she grinned and waved. "I'm Hiromi Wakuko."

For a moment or two, the three girls sat in silence—simply staring at one another. Ching blinked mildly at Hiromi, who grinned at Chihiro, who, in turn, stared quietly at Ching.

Then they all began to chuckle at the same time.

"Ching, don't mind me asking—" Chihiro mumbled after several long minutes. They were now copying geography notes into their exercise books. "—are you of Chinese origin?"

Ching giggled. "Of course. Yuen is hardly a Japanese sur-name, is it? Besides, I don't look Japanese."

"She looks Thai to me, really." Hiromi added. Ching stuck her tongue out at her.

Chihiro nodded slowly. "I see. Where did you live before you came here?"

"Shanghai. We moved here a year ago—my father's business took him away to Japan a lot. In the end, we'd just decided to move her—its much easier, then."

They spent the rest of the school day together—the two girls had been inseperable before Chihiro's arrival. Luckily for her, they were quite ready to include her in their activities—they were, in nature, kind and fun-loving. Ching and Hiromi had insisted upon giving her a proper tour of the school—and they spent lunch hour eating sandwiches in the school gardens.

Chihiro had not quite expected such happiness from her new school.

By the time the end-of-school bell had rung, Chihiro had been invited for tea at Hiromi's, and for breakfast at Ching's.

Perhaps, Chihiro thought, as she jumped into her father's car—Perhaps this town would not be so bad after all.

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**Author's Note:** Well, there goes another revised and rewritten chapter! It was done in rather a hurry—hope its OK.

Thanks to the people who reviewed the unrevised chapter 2: purpleclaw, Shazaoblossom, and kawaii cherry fairy.

(rewritten)


	5. Discovery of a Red Building

Chapter Four ~ Discovery of a Red Building  
  
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Chihiro muttered under her breath, checking toiletries off in her head. She was not in one of her best moods. Min Ching and Hiromi had somehow managed to persuade her to come with them on the school's annual camp that was just a day away. This time, it was going to be in some woods nearby the school. In fact, Chihiro had no doubts whatsoever that the woods they were going to were those that she could see from her balcony.  
  
" You will probably be camping at the other end of the woods. " Her father had told her.  
  
According to Hiromi, the last time the camp was held, it was in an island a little bit off the mainland. They had enjoyed themselves a lot. Chihiro had wondered at that. She had never been one to enjoy the outdoors - until she met Kohaku...  
  
Naturally, when this camp was mentioned, Min Ching and Hiromi squealed with the rest of the class and had immediately taken to bugging Chihiro, telling her how much fun it would be. After two whole days of non- stop camp-chatter, Chihiro gave in and finally handed in the permission slip, already signed by both her parents.  
  
Chihiro chucked a bottle of shampoo into her bright orange toiletry bag and sighed, looking around the room. She had already packed all that she would need to pack for her camp - soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, basically all the usual needed toiletries. Her knapsack stood on her table, already packed.  
  
Chihiro placed her toiletry bag beside her knapsack and walked out to the balcony. The night was dark and the cold wind blew against her face. There were not many stars in the sky. The waning moon was in the shape of a crescent, shining a light, creamy yellow. Chihiro inhaled deeply. She could smell the clean, clear scent of the woods. Calming sounds of splashing water reached her ears. Everything was tranquil and serene.  
  
Taking one last gulp of forest air, Chihiro turned and went back into the warmth of her room. Sleeping early before a camp was a good move and Chihiro had made a resolution never to be late for anything ever again.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
" Isn't this just great? The air in here is so clear! " Hiromi sniffed at the pine-scent all around her.  
  
Chihiro nodded in agreement and inhaled deeply. Her mother had insisted she take a bite of breakfast before she left for the five-day camp thus leading to her waking Chihiro up at the most ungodly hour of the day, five a.m.  
  
Their campsite was a small clearing beside the river. Chihiro chose to set up her tent right beside the blue waters. It comforted her, knowing that it would be close by for the next five days. Min Ching and Hiromi too set up their tents beside the river.  
  
Headmaster Tsunehiko cleared his throat, getting the girls' attention. He grinned at them and starting reading out the camp assignments in his kind old voice. In some ways, he reminded Chihiro of Kamajii.  
  
" Chihiro Ogino! "  
  
Chihiro started. She had yet again spaced out, thinking about Kamajii. She cast a sheepish smile at Headmaster Tsunehiko and shrugged. Headmaster Tsunehiko smiled and nodded.  
  
" You'll be boiling our drinking water with Maekawa, Min Ching and Hiromi. "  
  
' Boiling water? ' Chihiro wondered. Kamajii had so often complained about being stuck in the boiler room. But she brought herself back to her senses.  
  
Chihiro nodded and smiled at Headmaster Tsunehiko and was glad when he smiled back. She understood her task. She knew Maekawa. The girl had often sat with the threesome during lunch. Maekawa was a year younger than them. She had managed to skip a grade after taking an exceptionally difficult examination. Chihiro was sometimes rather in awe of the dark haired, blue eyed girl.  
  
Maekawa actually had Eurasian blood in her. Her actually mother was half French, half Spanish and her father, of course, was Japanese. According to her, her parents had filed a divorce years ago, ever since she was seven years old. Her father remarried. Her stepmother loved her beyond everything else. Maekawa was a very happy child and therefore, studied very hard to please her parents.  
  
Shrugging off her thoughts, Chihiro moved over to join Min Ching, Hiromi and Maekawa. The three of them were already gathering all the pots and pans to start the boiling. The camp had begun!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
" Ummmm...Ching, I think you'd better stop telling ghost stories - Maekawa looks positively frightened! "  
  
It was the fifth night of camp and the four girls had decided to cram into Chihiro's tent and tell ghost stories. Chihiro didn't mind, in fact, she was quite enjoying herself before Maekawa let out a soft squeal and starting looking as white as a sheet. That was when Hiromi had told Ching that she had better stop.  
  
Ching just shrugged and laughed. She had a very infectious laugh and soon, the four of them were giggling away. Even Maekawa was forgetting all about being frightened.  
  
After five minutes of non-stop laughter, Chihiro wiped the tears away from her eyes and lay down flat. The rest followed suit.  
  
" Why were we even laughing? " Chihiro wondered aloud.  
  
Hiromi shrugged. " I don't know. Why did you start laughing, Ching? "  
  
Min Ching giggled and sat up straight. " It was the look on Maekawa's face! She looked positively white and there she was being frightened of my story when she herself looked so ghostly! " Min Ching burst out laughing again.  
  
Maekawa snorted but she remained silent.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
" Did I tell you that walking around alone in a forest is not a good move? "  
  
Chihiro giggled at Hiromi's remark and continued walking. Her watch said one a.m.  
  
They had decided to take a walk in the forest. Maekawa was not with them. She had apparently fallen asleep while they were still talking. Hiromi was walking around on her tiptoes, looking as though she was afraid of creepy-crawlies in the forest. Min Ching, however, looked as though she was quite used to walking around in the forest.  
  
The path they had taken was quite wide. The three of them could walk together and still have space at either side. Colorful red plants grew at the sides of the path, acting as decorations. Bright yellow ferns accented the forest grounds. It was actually a pretty sight.  
  
" We should have done this a long time ago, like maybe every night. " Chihiro said.  
  
Min Ching nodded. " Yes - It's so relaxing and..." A loud gasp escaped her lips.  
  
Chihiro was about to ask her what was wrong when she collided face-first with a stone wall. A red stone wall. Hiromi looked shocked while Min Ching wore an expression of wonder. The odd expression that Chihiro had seen when they first met was there again.  
  
They were standing in front of a building that looked exactly like the one that lead into Majou No Sekai.  
  
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Author's Note ~ Okay, gang, I know this was a really, really bad place to leave this.Don't trout me!!!  
  
Anyway, I think I'm gonna have to revise it when I'm done with it, what do you people think?  
  
I do hope this chapter was okay - Let me know if it's good, okay?  
  
Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers!!! You have no idea how happy I was to see more than five reviews for the last chapter!!!  
  
Shazaoblossom ~ Thanks for all your reviews!!! Teehee...I was hoping someone would like Chihiro's new friends!!! Enjoy this chapter!!!  
  
Twin-Lupus ~ Hmmm...I too am glad that I continued it from where the story let off. Thanks for the review!!!  
  
Lisa-Chan ~ Awww...thank you so much!!! I'm glad you loved the movie as much as I did!!!  
  
kawaii cherry fairy ~ Thanks for the review!!! I'm glad you liked the new chapter!!!  
  
Firefly's Rebirth ~ I would love to put out longer chapters but you do know that life as a fifteen year old is not easy...Teehee...Well, I do hope you've enjoyed this chapter!!!  
  
Linneria ~ Hah!!! And here I thought that you'd have gone missing!!! I'm glad you found time to review my story. Oh, and I was wishing that someone would notice the Chinese...I kinda like her a lot!!! Enjoy this chapter!!!  
  
Shoujo Kitsune ~ Thanks for the review!!! I'm glad you liked my story!!! Anyway, I hope to see it finished too! That is if I have the time...But of course, I will finish this!!! Enjoy this chapter!  
  
Ryu-u ~ Awww, thank you so much for your review!!! But hmmm...I must trouble you, what is the meaning of kawaii anyway? I have no idea! Enjoy this chapter!  
  
silent H ~ Hmmm...I actually cannot wait for Chihiro and Kohaku to be reunited too! And uh...about Ching and Hiromi...well, they do play big significant roles but I can't tell you what without giving away the plot. Enjoy this chapter!!!  
  
Digi-Ruki ~ Yay!!! I'm glad you liked my story!!! Anyway, as for Chihiro and Kohaku meeting again, * evil grin * I can't say that it'd be too soon!!! Ummm...I'm not quite sure where they'll be meeting yet but time will reveal the plot!!! 


	6. Return

Author's Note ~ hmmm...quite a lot of you complaining about chapters being too short...  
  
* Hides under the computer table *  
  
Oh well, I'm sorry for not being able to put out longer chapters but I am a very busy person!!! I have a big debate to prepare for even as I type this out! But I'll never neglect my stories. Which is why I try to type out all that I can. I just thought that you people would rather have short chapters more frequently than one long chapter once in a while.  
  
So I'll stick with the frequent short chapters, okay?  
  
Wow, a lot of you people also want more Kohaku!!! Oh all right, you deserve more Haku...  
  
*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*  
  
Chapter Five ~ Return  
  
*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*  
  
Kohaku scanned the grounds below him. Everything was zooming past him in a mere second. Or to be more exact, he was zooming past everything in mere seconds.  
  
He had chosen to scour the place in his dragon form. It would be a lot easier to track Chihiro down from the sky. Kohaku knew that he would be able to see her miles off. At the present moment, he had never been so glad for his great eyesight.  
  
He was back in his world, the world in which he belonged.  
  
Kohaku smiled, though it was one not visible on the surface. His dragon eyes were still as wary and alert as ever.  
  
" I'm coming, Chihiro! We're going to meet again! "  
  
*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*  
  
" Oh my gosh, this place looks...breathtaking! "  
  
Chihiro nodded at Hiromi and looked around herself. They had crossed over through the doorway and she knew without a doubt that they were in the Majou No Sekai. Chihiro grinned at Hiromi and breathed deeply. She was back!  
  
The path set before them was not the one that Chihiro and her parents had taken. Instead, it looked like the path through the trees that herself; Kaonashi, Bou and Yu-Bird had taken to get to Zeniiba's house. There were trees, trees, and more trees surrounding them.  
  
Hiromi gave a little gasp.  
  
The big red building that just a few seconds ago had been behind them had disappeared.  
  
Hiromi's eyes widened and for a moment, she stood there, shocked. Min Ching just stood there, eyeing the spot wearily. It seemed to Chihiro as the Chinese girl's eyes darted from one corner of the woods to another; her dark eyes twinkled, some long lost memory stirring within. Chihiro wondered for a second. Deciding to question Min Ching about her sudden aloofness later, Chihiro turned to Hiromi who looked almost as white as Maekawa had a few hours ago when they were still in Chihiro's tent telling ghost stories.  
  
" I think we're in trouble..." She whispered to Chihiro.  
  
Chihiro bit her lower lip. She really had no idea whether they were really where she thought them to be. If in fact they were in the Majou No Sekai, they would not be in any trouble whatsoever. At least she, Chihiro would not be in any trouble. But at any rate, she would not allow her two friends to be hurt.  
  
" No, I think we're just lost. "  
  
Surprisingly, it was Min Ching who answered to Hiromi's remark. Chihiro nodded gratefully at the Chinese girl and patted Hiromi's shoulder.  
  
" Don't worry, we are not in trouble. " She said. " These woods don't look dangerous. "  
  
" No, they are not. In fact, this is not even a wood. "  
  
Chihiro turned around with a loud squeal. She ran towards the newcomer, pulling her into a huge embrace.  
  
Zeniiba smiled and hugged the excited girl back.  
  
" Well, welcome back, Chihiro! And you too, Ching! " Zeniiba said.  
  
*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*  
  
The journey back to Zeniiba's home took less then fifteen minutes, although it felt like a few years. Chihiro was in a state of perpetual shock.  
  
It took quite a long time to register the fact that Ching had been here before.  
  
As for Hiromi, she followed them around the paths aimlessly, as though walking in a dream. Chihiro didn't blame her. The first time she was here, she had been so frightened. But she had been lucky - she had met Haku.  
  
Zeniiba chatted gaily with them even as they entered the warm cottage. In a second, Kaonashi had converged upon Chihiro like a sea of black water - He had tried to hug her. Chihiro laughed and waved the spirit away.  
  
" So...sit down, all of you. I'll make some coffee. "  
  
*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*  
  
Author's Note ~ Hmmm...this is a really, really dumb place to leave it. It doesn't really at all add to the suspense of the story, does it?  
  
Well, I know this chapter isn't very long and I didn't exactly post it right after either but I have been very, very busy lately.  
  
Oh, we've won the Penang State debate! We're Penang champions!  
  
Okay, I've tried to inject more Haku into this. Still not enough, is it?  
  
Don't trout me! I really am tired and It seemed unfair to leave all of you hanging in here like this! And there really are a whole lot of reviews! Thanks to everyone who reviewed and to those who read the story but didn't review! I love you all!  
  
Amanda ~ Thanks for the review! Enjoy this chapter!  
  
kawaii cherry fairy ~ Teehee, thanks for telling me that! This cliffy isn't that evil.:p  
  
Harue - chan ~ Aha!!! So someone did notice the odd expression on Ching's face! I'm glad someone did! You probably already found out why in this chapter!  
  
Crystal Child ~ Oh wow, I'm so glad you read mine first! Enjoy this chapter!  
  
Corrie~Chan ~ Thanks for the review, enjoy this chapter! Plot...coming soon...:-P  
  
CelestialSonic ~ Hmmm...If that's a question, Chihiro is still ten. And I've added you to my msn list!  
  
shazaoblossom ~ Here's some Haku! ( If only a little bit! ) Enjoy this chapter!  
  
Gohanzgirl ~ Towels? Thanks for the reviews! Enjoy this chapter!  
  
Silwerwing ~ Nope, no meeting Chihiro...not for some time. Thanks for the review!  
  
Gijinka Renamon ~ Well, by the time this chapter came out, I hope you'd have seen the movie! Enjoy this chapter!  
  
Emarald May ~ Thanks for the review! Enjoy!  
  
Ladysilverdragon ~ Ummm.....sorry, I don't think I have any intentions of them getting married...at least yet! But I hope you'll enjoy my storyline anyways!  
  
Android Jennifer ~ Ooh, thanks! I was hoping that the people in my story would be close to their own personalities! Enjoy this chapter!  
  
Desdomonda ~ Ummm...I meant that as like darkened red. As like when you see something in the dark, the color is darker. And then again, there's the moon...but I forgot to write it out! I'll add it in when I revise it. Anyways, I'm glad you liked my original characters, I like them too!  
  
Ellen ~ Thanks for the review! Enjoy this chapter!  
  
MagRowan ~ Awww, thanks for the review! Enjoy this chapter!  
  
eechan ~ I totally agree. Some fics that I'm dying to read the end of are not being updated and it gets frustrating!  
  
FelisDeityus ~ Here's more Haku for ya! Thanks for the review!  
  
Saki ~ Hey! Thanks! I'm glad you liked my original characters! Enjoy this chapter!  
  
Winter the Snow Dragon ~ I'm glad you like this! Enjoy this chapter!  
  
Sakurachick03 ~ Hmmm...just saw the movie, huh? I'm glad you liked my story enough to review it! Enjoy this chapter!  
  
anonymous ~ Thanks for the review! I'm going to revise the story when I'm done. This answers your question!  
  
Linneria ~ Teehee...Chihiro going camping is really funny, isn't it? Anyways, short chapters cannot be evaded! I am one busy person, ya know! Enjoy this chapter!  
  
Bea ~ Thanks for the review and enjoy this chapter!  
  
Sungirl ~ Thanks!  
  
Nightwitch ~ Thanks for the review! Enjoy this!  
  
James Birdsong ~ Thanks for those five reviews! Glad you liked this!  
  
Chihomi-sama ~ Hee hee! Regular reader! Thanks anyway and have fun reading this chapter!  
  
kohaku+chihiro4ever ~ I know! I think they're so cute together!  
  
Fire Spirit ~ Okay, next part out!  
  
Aria ~ Welcome to the club! All of us are bitter-resentful about the ending! Glad you liked my story! And yeah, someone did tell me the meaning of kawaii but thanks anyway! And no, I don't have a mailing list but if you want, I can e-mail you and tell you when I have a new chapter out!  
  
blackunicorn ~ Okay, updated! Thanks for the review and enjoy!  
  
Okay, thanks, people! I'll try to update sooner! 


	7. Recalling This And That

Author's Note ~ Oh goodness, I am so sorry that this came out late! I had it all ready, I swear! It's just that my computer connection got zonked! AGAIN!!! Enjoy this chapter!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter Six ~ Recalling This And That  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kohaku landed on the earth, still in his dragon form. Searching for Chihiro from the skies for seven hours non-stop was not a very nice task and even the thought of being reunited with Chihiro again couldn't stop him from feeling a little blue.  
  
He simply couldn't find her.  
  
Kohaku changed back into his human form resentfully. He was simply too tired to search anymore. Besides, it was definitely more dangerous flying here than in the spirit world. He had to avoid being seen and there were always some sort of flying contraptions ready to knock him over in mid- air. He mused about these as he put his feet into the river that was running beside him.  
  
" Well, my boy, what do you think you're doing here, eh? "  
  
Kohaku whipped around, eyes alert and surprised. He had landed in a thick and dense forest to make sure that nobody could see him.  
  
But even now, before his eyes stood an old man that looked as if he'd seen ages of the world. His back was bent and his knees, shaky looking. And yet, this old man had a look about him, a look that showed confidence and wisdom merged together. His bright eyes held the special understanding look that Kamajii always had about him. He held a walking stick that supported his weight.  
  
" Who are you? " Kohaku asked.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chihiro looked around Zeniiba's kitchen and quietly sipped her cup of coffee. Ching was doing the same thing. Hiromi was cautiously eyeing Zeniiba while pretending to be drinking her coffee, not wanting to seem rude.  
  
If the situation had not been so tense, Chihiro would have found herself laughing out loud. But she had thoughts of her own hanging over her.  
  
She had always thought that Ching seemed a bit aloof, perhaps like an enigma to her. Her actions and thoughts had never really been easy to read. That was probably why most people found her a little weird and that made them keep their distance. Chihiro and Hiromi never minded about this. They thought Ching to be one of the nicest people around, if not a little spaced out from the real world at times.  
  
Chihiro's train of thoughts flew out of her head as Ching cleared her throat loudly.  
  
From the corner of her eyes, Chihiro saw Zeniiba and Kaonashi looking at each other and then shrugging. Ching fidgeted with her long black braid and looked expectantly at Chihiro.  
  
Fortunately, it was Hiromi who spoke up first. " I really, really want to know what's going on. Can somebody please tell me? "  
  
Chihiro looked at Ching and grinned wryly. " You first. " She said.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
" Who are you? " Kohaku repeated, turning his back entirely to face the elderly man. He was quite sure he did not sound too nice but nor did he wish to sound as though he was in charge.  
  
The old man merely laughed and sat down on a moss-covered boulder beside him. Whoever it was, it was clear that he did not feel in the least threatened by Kohaku who was sure that he had seen him change from a dragon to a plain boy in an outfit which dated back to the prehistoric days of cavemen.  
  
" Sit. I am not going to harm you, nor am I going to expose your...other form to the rest of this world. But I do propose we have a talk. "  
  
Kohaku eyes the older man warily but he sat down crossed legged in front of him. He was not entirely sure why, but something inside him told him that this old man was not someone who would harm him.  
  
" Good. Now, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hoshino Koji and I am a seer. I see, hear and feel things that nobody else can. Can you see that cottage there? That one there through those wild rose bushes? That is my home. People come to me for fortune telling and for herbal remedies. " He said slowly.  
  
Kohaku nodded and lowered his head, looking at the ground. He was unsure of what to say to this man.  
  
" I won't ask about you for you wouldn't tell me anyway. But you will tell me in your own time. For now, you can live with me as my apprentice that is if you want to. You will contemplate about it for a while and I shall wait. But I am sure that you will accept my invitation anyway. " He said, smiling warmly at Kohaku.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
" Well, I figured by now all of you would have realized that I've been here before. " Ching started, grinning pathetically around at everybody.  
  
" Yes. I think we all have figured that out. " Chihiro said. Hiromi nodded slowly beside her.  
  
The three girls were now seated in a comfortably lit room. A fire blazed before them and they were all stretched out on the carpet, hugging cushions. Zeniiba had left to enable them to speak freely. Kaonashi had followed her, waving madly at the girls.  
  
Ching nodded and inhaled deeply. " Well, as you both know, I moved here a year ago with my family. We took the wrong turn and I ended up...here, right in Yu-Baaba's clutches. Of course, she accepted me into the bathhouse. And I stayed there for a while. But my parents didn't survive Majou No Sekai..."  
  
Chihiro felt a lump rising in her throat. She had been lucky to get her parents back but here, Ching had lost them right here. Now she truly understood why her friend lived with her three aunts and uncle.  
  
" Ching...you don't have to tell us...if you don't want to. " Hiromi said, concerned. The warm-hearted girl put an arm around Ching and gave her a hug.  
  
Ching smiled weakly but her face remained determined. " No, I want to tell you. It's been in the closet for far too long anyway. I need to open up. "  
  
" Alright. Continue but if you feel like stopping, do. " Chihiro said.  
  
Ching nodded. " Well, I was too late to save them. So I stayed longer. For a year, I worked under the close supervision of Yu-Baaba's apprentice, Haku and a worker in Aburaya, Rin. I presume you know them already, Chihiro? "  
  
Chihiro nodded.  
  
" They were extremely helpful, especially Rin. She was the only one who stood by my side after I found out about my parents...and Haku...he was really nice, like a big brother. Life went on for a while. One day, this goddess, the goddess of time came to the bathhouse. She was all in white and she was so beautiful. In a way, she reminded me of mother. So kind, so warm, so loving...Well, she seemed to take an instant liking to me. After her third visit, she adopted me as her daughter. From that day onwards, I called her my mother. She was my second mother. "  
  
" But she had the gift to see into the past, present or future. And she could see my future. A future that would only come true in the real world. And she let me go. Just like that. At first, I refused to leave her. I fought against her will for the first time. But she convinced me that my true path lay away from the Aburaya, away from Majou No Sekai. And so I left. Well, the rest you know. I went to live with my aunts and uncle and come to school where we all go. That's all. " Ching finished, looking extremely white but relieved all the same.  
  
Chihiro reached over and gave her a hug. It wasn't long before the Chinese girl started sobbing. Chihiro continued hugging her while Hiromi provided her with tissues from her pocket.  
  
" It's okay to cry, Ching...It's not wrong. " Hiromi said.  
  
" Yes, just let it all out. We're here for you. " Chihiro continued.  
  
Ching continued sobbing but she had now buried her face in both her hands. " I ... I...promised...I promised myself I wouldn't cry..."  
  
" Ching, it's okay...don't worry about it. Just let it all out. Let it all out and start a new day tomorrow. Life's too short to spend mourning. We have to move on sooner or later. I'm sure your parents would have wanted you to move on sooner. So cry all you want now. But tomorrow, the sun will shine out. And it will reflect your feelings. You will feel better tomorrow, I promise. " Hiromi said, embracing both Ching and Chihiro in a group hug.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
" So...this is your home? "  
  
True to Hoshino's words, Kohaku had decided to stay as an apprentice. When he expressed so, the old man merely smiled and waved the way towards his home.  
  
" Yes. It's not much, but at least it's a roof over our heads. "  
  
Kohaku nodded and followed Hoshino through the door. Hoshino motioned him towards a small room at the North East corner of the room.  
  
" This is your room. " He said.  
  
" Thank you. " Kohaku said.  
  
" You're welcome. Now, do you want to tell me why you're here? "  
  
Kohaku sighed. He obviously couldn't avoid this issue for long anyway. " Well, there's this girl...Chihiro, who stumbled into my world..."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
" What about you, Chihiro? How did you come here? "  
  
Half an hour had passed since Ching had told them her story. By now, she was acting nearly normal again although her red eyes gave her away. But she was smiling, rather weakly, but still, she was smiling. Hiromi was now eager to find out about Chihiro's past in Majou No Sekai.  
  
Chihiro bit her lower lip and nodded. " You sure you want to hear about it? " She asked.  
  
When she received two slight nods, she began speaking.  
  
" I too got lost and discovered Majou No Sekai when my family was on the move. Mom and Dad accidentally ate the food meant for the gods and goddesses and Yu-Baaba turned them into pigs. Haku warned me to leave the place before the sun set but I didn't make it. Haku found me in a dark corner of town. He directed me to Kamajii where I met Rin. She brought me to Yu-Baaba and I worked there for a while. But then, on my first day of work, I saw Kaonashi and let him in. Little did I know that I was not supposed to. Soon, Kaonashi had taken the form of an Aogaeru. So that was a problem as he turned himself into a giant mass of black slime after a while. Meanwhile, Haku had stolen the Witches' Seal from Zeniiba. But Zeniiba had cursed the seal and Haku would die. Luckily, we got to Kamajii's boiler room where I gave Haku some of the Nigadango that the Kawa No Kami gave me. It took a while and some thrashing about with his tail on Haku's behalf for the seal to come out but it did after all. "  
  
Hiromi looked puzzled. " But this Haku...is he a boy or a...thing with a tail? "  
  
Chihiro and Ching both laughed out loud at the comment. Finally, Chihiro stopped giggling at the indignant look on Hiromi's face.  
  
" Haku is actually a river god. He can change into a dragon or he can remain as a boy. " Ching explained.  
  
" Oh..." Hiromi said. " Well, what happened after that, Chihiro? "  
  
Chihiro threw two logs into the fire and continued. " I decided to return the seal to Zeniiba and ask for her help to cure Haku. He was still out cold. Kamajii gave me four train tickets to get here. I was all ready to leave when Rin burst into the boiler room, telling me that Yu-Baaba wanted to see me. According to her, Kaonashi had made a huge mess and had even swallowed two more of Aburaya's workers. Naturally, Yu-Baaba blamed me for her financial losses. But I managed to bring Kaonashi out of Aburaya and bring him here. Yu-Baaba's son, Bou and Yu-Bird came with me. Meanwhile, Haku came to under Kamajii's care and he made a deal with Yu-Baaba. He would bring Bou back should Yu-Baaba set my family and me free. Yu-Baaba agreed and Haku flew over here to bring me, Bou and Yu-Bird back. "  
  
" As we were flying through the sky, I had a memory...I remembered something that had been locked away for some time. I had met Haku before...and I remembered when, how, and why we met. I told him his real name. And doing so, I set him free of Yu-Baaba's grasps. Afterward, when I was leaving, he told me that we would meet again. But I haven't seen him since. I miss him..." Chihiro said, turning slightly pink.  
  
Ching laughed. " You have a thing for him! "  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hoshino's laugh was friendly. It rang through the forest loud and clear, like the trills of a hummingbird. Finally, he stopped laughing and made a statement. " This Chihiro girl...you have a thing for her! "  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Sometimes, things happen at the same time in the world. At that exact moment, in two different worlds, two different people, two different souls said the exact same word. They both said the word, after some hesitation, " Yes. "  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Author's Note ~ Well, okay, thanks for those reviews, people! You have no idea how much I appreciate them! Remember to hit the review button and drop little ol' me a review for this chapter!  
  
Ta! 


	8. Loss

*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter Seven ~ Loss  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
" Haku's not here! He left about a month ago! "  
  
Chihiro stared blankly at Yu-Baaba, eyes and mouth wide open. After spending a few days at Zeniiba's place, they had taken the newly built return train to Aburaya. Yu-Baaba's home at the top of the massive building had been their first stop. They had hoped to find Haku, under enslavement or not. But now, the news hit her like a bomb. He was gone.  
  
" Where...where did he go? " Chihiro asked timidly. She was still quite afraid too look Yu-Baaba in the eye.  
  
Yu-Baaba laughed and shook her head. " This is just lovely..."  
  
" What is? " Chihiro asked.  
  
" Kohaku. He went off to search for you. And you are right here, the one place he thinks you wouldn't be. "  
  
Chihiro's heart gave a huge lurch of excitement and disappointment. Part of her was happy that Kohaku had actually left to find her and yet the other half of her was disappointed because of his absence.  
  
" I'd scream in agony, but it wouldn't be much use, would it? " She said grimly, smiling a little.  
  
" No, not really. " Yu-Baaba agreed.  
  
~*~  
  
Chihiro could feel the hot glances of two girls boring into the back of her head, but she continued walking, determined to look anywhere but their faces. Hiromi and Ching were too polite to ask, and as Chihiro herself was in no mood to fill them in on Kohaku's exit, the matter remained in the closet.  
  
They were walking along the richly decorated corridors in Aburaya, for Yu-Baaba had insisted that Hiromi and Ching take a break in one of the quieter floors. Chihiro had gone to fetch them. The hallway was completely deserted except for one or two workers, hurrying along with the customers' food.  
  
Chihiro stared at the wooden paneling that was the floor and simply refused to look up. It was only after a moment that she realized that someone was blocking her path.  
  
" Excuse me. " She murmured quickly and walked on.  
  
So deep were her thoughts that she did not realize that Hiromi and Ching had disappeared until she reached the elevator six corridors away. As she pondered their absence, a high-pitched scream filled the floor. Wasting no farther thoughts, Chihiro traced her footsteps, shouting for Ching and Hiromi as she went.  
  
Her worse fears were realized as she turned a left corner and found herself face-to-face with a full-fledged battle.  
  
Two women, dressed in kimonos and scowls were battling each other, each as fierce and lethal as the tiger. Their sabers sang as they wielded them expertly against the other. Chihiro wondered at their agility, but not for long.  
  
Ching lay on the ground, her head on Hiromi's lap, and her hand pressed hard against her stomach, where Chihiro noticed, blood spurted out without control.  
  
The first emotion that came into her head was fear. She was scared. Scared for her friend's life. A soft moan alerted her that her friend was still alive, but only just. Chihiro ran towards Hiromi, who was sobbing, and grasped Ching's hand.  
  
" Ching..." She said.  
  
The Chinese girl coughed up some blood. She tried to speak, but the clashing of the swords drowned her words, which were as soft as new snow in the winter.  
  
Hiromi was shaking her head. " Don't speak...You'll be okay..."  
  
Ching shook her head sadly and for the first time, Chihiro noticed the tears in her eyes. They fell shut. Chihiro grasped the cold hand even harder, but a moment later, it was limp.  
  
The only thing that Chihiro was aware of was Ching's hand, sliding down from her grasp, felling with a soft thud on the wooden floor. Then, before her own eyes were blinded by tears, Hiromi flung herself onto her and started sobbing.  
  
And amidst all this, the two women were still fighting. Chihiro now found it hard to breathe. As she gently lay Ching's limp form on the ground, she knew that the wanted to hurt these people, these people who had to simply taken her best friend away from her. Chihiro was mildly conscious of her right hand slipping into her pocket, pulling out her pocketknife, which just a few days ago she had been using to slice open an envelope from home. A moment later, she was striding up the battlefield, where the two warriors were still unaware of her presence.  
  
Her rage was all that kept her going, and before she knew it, the knife was sunk deep into the heart of one of the warriors. She looked at Chihiro, having acknowledged her arrival at last, but she merely pulled the knife out and threw it down onto the ground.  
  
" Do not stop me, you mortal! " She said.  
  
Chihiro lunged for the knife. Her fingers just managed to grab the handle and she stood up, facing the woman. Now that she had a closer view of the woman, she noticed some things. Like how her dark eyes flared with an evil looking aura. How her voice tingled her spine. And how scared she felt in her presence.  
  
" You killed Ching...You...You've killed one of my best friends... " Chihiro said.  
  
The woman laughed. " And what makes you think I care in the least bit? If you want someone who cares, try Yun over here. I'll bet she'll want to know the fate of that girl. Wouldn't you, Yun? "  
  
The other woman looked pale, but the hatred radiating from her was enough to make anyone cringe. " Why? Why did you kill her? "  
  
" To torture you. Simple, isn't it? "  
  
This was all too much for Chihiro to bear. She lunged at the evil woman, knife in front of her. " You-have-no-right-to-take-her-away! " She yelled.  
  
A bright light surrounded the corridor. Ching's killer grinned and disappeared. Chihiro was vaguely aware of Yu-Baaba...( or was it Zeniiba? ) coming towards her, but everything went blank after a while. She fell, unconscious onto the ground.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N ::: Hey people. I'm so sorry that this was so short, but I don't have a lot of time! Sorry for taking such a long time to upload this. I have my exam trials and it's absolutely crucial for me to get good grades!  
  
Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! Remember to drop me one for this chapter! Thanks! 


	9. Living for Each Other

Chapter Eight - Living for Each Other  
  
The forest was think and dense but many roots of healing nature grew in there. Every day, Hoshino and Kohaku went in there, Kohaku with a basket and Hoshino, bent over, collecting some root, leaf or flower.  
  
Hoshino had given Kohaku some new clothes, sensing his discomfort in going out in his old-fashioned clothing. In his free time, Kohaku would go to the river, which, unsurprisingly, upon inspection, turned out to be the river from his vision. He would calmly dip his feet into the cooling waters and wonder if he would ever find Chihiro.  
  
Meanwhile, his trips to town to get necessities for Hoshino were not exactly fun. A trio of boys who looked about sixteen had taken to teasing him about his old-fashioned haircut. The first time they tripped and teased him, he had gritted his teeth and got up, brushing the dust from his t- shirt and continued walking.  
  
" Don't draw attention to yourself. Remember that. " Hoshino had told him before he left.  
  
Kohaku had remembered all he was told, and so endured the taunting; all the while wishing that he could punch the boys' faces. Sometimes, when he walked, strange metal contraptions, which Hoshino had told him, were called cars honked at him, making him jump onto the pavement, feeling less than usually brave.  
  
And of course, the boys took this for an added plus to tease him.  
  
~*~  
  
" Chihiro! Chihiro, get up, please, come on! "  
  
Chihiro groaned and with enormous effort managed to open her eyes. Every single part of her body ached. With a sudden lurch in her heart, she remembered the happenings of the world before she blacked out.  
  
" Ching...where..." She said, feeling the all-too familiar sting of tears in her eyes. She had a vague feeling that she had been dreaming about the death over and over again in her dreams.  
  
Hiromi shook her head, but she looked as though she had not slept for a few days. Her usually sleek hair was unkempt and her eyes had dark rings under them, accompanied by the occasional red streak that came only when you cried. " She is gone. " She answered simply.  
  
Chihiro sat up, tears streaming down her face freely. " No...What happened after...after I fell? "  
  
Hiromi bit her lip. " You know the other woman...Yun? "  
  
Chihiro nodded.  
  
" She's Ching's mother, the goddess of time. She came to get a glimpse of Ching, but her biggest enemy, the other woman; the goddess of earth beat her to it. She...she killed Ching...to gain revenge on Yun. " Hiromi stopped, taking a deep breath, before continuing. " Naturally, a huge fight began as soon as Yun realized that Ching was dead. They fought for a while before you came back. "  
  
Chihiro put her face into her hands and, with her voice muffled, asked - " Where's Yun now? "  
  
" She's gone off to gain revenge on the earth goddess. "  
  
" So...Where's Ching's..."  
  
" Yu-Baaba's room at the very top. "  
  
~*~  
  
Ching was buried in one of the larger flower gardens around Aburaya. During the burial ceremony, no one spoke. Zeniiba and Yu-Baaba stood side by side, staring into the deep grave. As for Chihiro and Hiromi, the two were too shocked to even speak. They merely stared at the lifeless body, which, just a few days ago had been the happy girl their friend was. They didn't even notice the fact that Ching's foster mother was missing.  
  
It was a known fact that they both sobbed for hours after the ceremony.  
  
~*~  
  
It was only a matter of a few days, but Chihiro felt as though she had not slept for years. Due to her unstoppable sobbing through the night, her usually bright eyes were no different from pouches and a few Yuna had even stopped, ironically unsympathetic, to laugh at how she looked.  
  
For Chihiro, all this was nothing compared to the pain she felt inside. Although she had only known Ching for a very short period of time, the friendship that had developed was strong.  
  
It was with a heavy heart that Chihiro went to Yu-Baaba's tower home. The elder woman had summoned her by means of a Yuna. Zeniiba had already left, after spending countless hours trying to cheer the moody pair up, but to no avail.  
  
Yu-Baaba was setting some accounts straight when Chihiro entered her study. She couldn't help but notice how similar the scene playing before her eyes was to the one that was when she first met the old woman. Yu-Baaba looked up at her and smiled, promptly putting her papers away.  
  
" Chihiro, come here. " She said.  
  
Chihiro complied, making her way very slowly towards her. " Yu-Baaba...I don't know what to do...why did you call me anyway? " She said wearily.  
  
Yu-Baaba sighed. " Chihiro, you must understand, people come and go. Ching may be gone in reality, but she is not gone from your heart. Neither is she missing in any of our hearts, for that matter. "  
  
Chihiro gulped back the lump in her throat that was threatening to overcome her. She shrugged, staring at the floor, simply determined not to look at Yu-Baaba. Her eyes blinked furiously as she tried time and again to stop the free stem of tears.  
  
" Chihiro..."  
  
" Please...don't say any more...please, just tell me...tell me why you called me here. " Chihiro said, her voice barely audible through the raking sobs that now filled the air.  
  
Yu-Baaba sighed again, but she stood up nevertheless and slowly pulled out a standing full-length mirror. " Look into this. "  
  
Chihiro looked up and stared at the mirror. It was very old and it had the aura of something that foretold. She wondered at its use.  
  
Almost as if against her will, Chihiro walked towards the mirror, right hand held defensively before her. Kohaku was staring back at her, those green jewels of eyes boring right through her soul. One hand of his touched the surface of the mirror. By some reflex unknown to her, her own hand snapped right up to meet his.  
  
Gazing into his eyes made her feel even worse, if it was possible. Chihiro collapsed into a heap on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. In front of her, the mirror had started showing other people, Hiromi, Zeniiba, Rin, Kamajii, and last of all, herself. She was vaguely aware of a pair of strong arms lifting her onto a couch.  
  
" Chihiro, you cannot go on like this! " Yu-Baaba's tone was firm but sad at the same time. " Did the mirror show you anything? Kohaku? "  
  
Chihiro lifted her tear-stained face and stared into Yu-Baaba's eyes. " It's all my fault! I brought us here and it was MY fault that Ching died! It's all my fault! And I don't see what that mirror has to do with any of this! "  
  
" Chihiro, don't you see? You have to stop mourning for Ching! She would not have wanted to see you this way. And you have to start living for yourself. For other people, for Hiromi. For Kohaku! The mirror showed you that. Her time was up. " Yu-Baaba gently stroked her hair in a motherly manner. " Live your life. " She said.  
  
Chihiro hugged the old sorceress close and cried her heart out, knowing that when this was over, she would feel a lot better.  
  
~*~  
  
Sometimes, Kohaku would sit around and wonder what he'd do from then on. It seemed as though his life had taken a definite downturn ever since he left Majou no Sekai. Sure, Hoshino was the kindest of hosts and gathering roots was fine by him, but lately, he'd begun to wonder f he'd ever find Chihiro.  
  
Part of him was longing to go back to Majou no Sekai, but another part of him willed him to stay here, to continue his endless search for Chihiro.  
  
Now, however, a thought haunted him, whenever he slept, whenever he awoke, whenever he did anything at all. What if Chihiro was not here? What if she'd left convinced that he was not coming back? He had no explanations, even for himself about this thought.  
  
" Left for where? " He'd tell himself. " Majou no Sekai? "  
  
He'd shrugged the thought off his mind, once again questioning his sanity. Chihiro would never go back there, unless she, like him, had taken matters into their own hands, to find the other.  
  
And yet, another nagging thought deep in his mind told him that Chihiro might be right here, in this world he knew so little of.  
  
On a certain morning, when the dark rings from lack of sleep under his eyes were bigger and darker than usual, Hoshino peered, concerned into his eyes.  
  
" Kohaku, are you okay? " He asked.  
  
Kohaku nodded, stifling a yawn. " I couldn't get much sleep last night. You know, when you think too much..."  
  
Hoshino nodded. " Chihiro? It happens when you live more for her than yourself. " The older man laughed.  
  
" Yeah. " Kohaku said sheepishly.  
  
~*~  
  
Author's note: All right, people! Here's another chapter! Hope ya'll enjoy it. I think I'm going to be wrapping up the story pretty soon, like.... within the next three chapters. But we'll see. I'm a pretty long-winded writer.  
  
* Grins *  
  
Anyways, thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! You've no idea how happy I am to have this many reviews already! Keep reviewing and keep reading! Luv ya'll!!! 


	10. Starting Out in the Wrong Direction

Author's Note ~ Oh my goodness...* Hides under her desk * I am so sorry that I took...uh...four months...to update...I'm so sorry! Really, I really, really, am! ( But here's a new chapter anyway, and I hope you'll enjoy it!  
  
Chapter Nine ~ Starting Out in the Wrong Direction  
  
"Chihiro! "  
  
Chihiro wrinkled up her nose and glared at Rin, who was smiling at her. It was dark out, and she and Hiromi had not yet adjusted to the nightly working hours.  
  
"What? " She murmured groggily.  
  
Rin extended a hand, pulling Chihiro up into a sitting position. "Yu-Baaba thinks she knows where your Kohaku is! "  
  
Chihiro yawned, smiling. "He's not MY Kohaku. " She said. "At least not yet." She added as an afterthought, grinning.  
  
Rin laughed and handed her some clothing. "Right. Well, Yu-Baaba knows for a fact that he's gone to the mortal realm to look for you, but she's been trying to pinpoint his exact location lately. We think she's hit gold at last. " She said, helping Chihiro to dress.  
  
Chihiro nodded. "Thanks, Rin. I'll go and see her now. "  
  
Rin winked and left. Chihiro smiled and looked around for her shoes. Hiromi was still sleeping, her hair falling all over her face. She looked like an angel, peaceful and serene. Chihiro wondered if her inner thoughts were as peaceful as she looked. Smiling at her own thoughts, she realized, for the first time how calm she felt. In fact, she was the calmest she had been since she got here.  
  
Working her way up to Yu-Baaba's room was no easy task. All the Yuna and the Aogaeru made it a point to greet her cheerfully. Three of the Yuna insisted on her having some breakfast before letting her go. Chihiro shook her head and smiled at their kindness. It was pretty much a cruel irony, since when she first arrived; they had scorned her for being a human. Chihiro laughed as she got out of the elevator, heading for Yu-Baaba's home.  
  
As she opened the large double doors and stepped into the room, a cool chill swept past her, and for some reason or another, she felt her hair standing up.  
  
"Yu-Baaba? " She called tentatively.  
  
No answer. Chihiro walked deeper into the house, taking each step slowly. No one seemed to be in.  
  
"Yu-Baaba? " She called again.  
  
And yet again, there was no answer. In fact, other than the three ' Kashira ' who bounced about, the whole place seemed to be empty. Chihiro walked into baby Bou's room, hoping to catch a glimpse of her friend.  
  
The room was cool and calm, and a little bejeweled music box played a soft lullaby, presumably to lull the baby to sleep. But the only problem was, there was no baby. Chihiro dared herself to venture deeper into the room, to see if Bou was really missing, or just hidden under a large stack of pillows.  
  
"Nope...no baby here..." Chihiro muttered under her breath as she pulled the pillows apart.  
  
Searching around the house, she found that there was entirely no one, other than the mentioned ' Kashira ' around. Chihiro shrugged and sat down on an armchair to wait for Yu-Baaba.  
  
Ten seconds later, the fireplace in which a warm, comforting fire was crackling merrily erupted into enormous flames of red and blue. The fire then twisted itself into a tight knot that formed an arch across the room out of the window. In a matter of seconds, the bright blue sky outside turned a sickly red. Chihiro watched all this open-mouthed, gaping at the supernatural sight.  
  
Half a moment later, Chihiro felt someone grab her arm, pulling her through the tunnel exit in which she and Kohaku had once fell through. Shrieking in shock, Chihiro barely had time to glimpse the sight that was unfolding in front of her eyes. But what she did see, she feared.  
  
Standing on the floor was Ching's murderer, the dark haired, dark eyed, goddess of earth, Ling Wu.  
  
~*~  
  
Chihiro looked around her and her company. Around twenty of the bathhouse's workers, Rin, Kamajii, Yu-Baaba, Zeniiba, Bou, Hiromi and Yun were seated around her. Her head was processing the tale that had just been told, but she still had trouble accepting it.  
  
Ling Wu had taken over Aburaya.  
  
She had challenged Yu-Baaba to a battle. Yu-Baaba, not being one to back down from a challenge accepted. Half way through their major battle, baby Bou walked in accidentally. Ling Wu had taken the opportunity to curse the baby. A baby!  
  
Chihiro seethed with anger. Not only did this so-called-goddess kill one of her best friends, she had also threatened the life of another of her friends, and a baby, at that.  
  
Of course, as baby Bou's life seeped out gradually, Yu-Baaba made a deal with Ling Wu. She would get Aburaya if she let Bou live. Ling Wu had agreed, and Yu-Baaba and Bou fled. They had just managed to save Chihiro before Ling-Wu claimed her life as well. The others had fled from Aburaya, Rin in the lead with Hiromi in tow.  
  
Chihiro let out a most unladylike growl and kicked the sand beneath her feet. They were all actually sitting in a small clearing in the woods outside Aburaya. Yun sighed and hid her face in her hands. Try as she would to challenge Ling Wu, Yun was powerless against this goddess. Ling-Wu was of a higher rank, and any challenges against her meant instant death. Chihiro felt an instant warming towards her.  
  
"So what do we do now? " Rin voiced the question that was undoubtedly on all their minds.  
  
Yu-Baaba sighed. "I suggest we go to the human world. We can find Kohaku there – And then we can figure some things out. "  
  
Chihiro looked at the older woman. Her heart, although in great despair, leaped at the sound of that plan. A smile, the first she smiled since Aburaya's change of ownership, appeared on her face, and a minute later, the crowd of twenty-eight marched out of the woods towards the gateway between the two worlds.  
  
~*~  
  
Author's Note ~ Well, this is it. Please, please, please leave me a review! Okay? Thanks! Oh, I would be very grateful if all of you who want me to start an update-mailing list to leave your e-mail so I can tell you when I have a new chapter. It's so much easier that way! So...I'll go and write some more now, and once again, I am so sorry for taking such a long time!  
  
Thanks to every single darling who ever reviewed this fic, I love you all! 


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